The Last Icon: Tom Seaver and His Times

This book tells the complete, unvarnished story of the great Tom Seaver, that rarest of all American heroes, the New York Sports Icon. In a city that produces not mere mortals but sports gods, Seaver represented the last of a breed. Here is "Tom Terrific" of the "Amazin' Mets," worthy of a place alongside DiMaggio, Ruth, Mantle, and Namath in the pantheon of New…
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Overview

This book tells the complete, unvarnished story of the great Tom Seaver, that rarest of all American heroes, the New York Sports Icon. In a city that produces not mere mortals but sports gods, Seaver represented the last of a breed. Here is "Tom Terrific" of the "Amazin' Mets," worthy of a place alongside DiMaggio, Ruth, Mantle, and Namath in the pantheon of New York idols.

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Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

In the final chapter of this Hall of Fame pitcher's biography, Travers (Barry Bonds: Baseball's Superman) states that he has finally written the quintessential Seaver book. However, it's unclear whether he even interviewed his subject and, though the book is organized chronologically, many details seem randomly inserted. The result reeks of hero worship and reads like a sloppy, book-length term paper reliant on an extensive bibliography and a multitude of unattributed quotes from Seaver, his teammates, coaches, and managers. Nicknamed "The Franchise" after leading the New York Mets to an unlikely 1969 World Series championship, the man is certainly deserving of Travers's praise. Faithful to his marriage vows and a stickler for training, Seaver wasn't like other ballplayers of the era, on or off the mound; his relentless pursuit of perfection is reflected in over 20 seasons with four Major League teams, a successful broadcasting career, and current California vineyard ownership. Travers turns a critical eye on Seaver when addressing how he responded to post-World Series fame, but he staunchly defends the pitcher against charges of greed regarding contract negotiations. Agency: Objective Entertainment. (Nov.)

New York Post

A fascinating new book... Steve Serby, Sports Columnist

Spadora on Sports

I really enjoy your writing and how you tell the story. Pete Spadora

AtHomePlate.com

...[A]nyone who grew up admiring Tom Terrific will enjoy reading. Clearly New Yorkers and Mets fans will get the most out of this book, but anyone who has ever debated just who the best pitcher in baseball's long history will find grist for the mill within the pages.

New York Post - Steve Serby

A fascinating new book...

Spadora on Sports - Pete Spadora

I really enjoy your writing and how you tell the story.

Marty Lurie

You have again handled the Seaver subject matter with aplomb.

Diane LaRue

...[a] must-read for any Mets fan, and for any baseball fan for that matter.

Eric Alterman

...[A] friendly, well-researched book about one of the great men of all time...